Read Online The Determining by Rebecca Grous - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rebecca Grous
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could see heads turning as people craned their necks, desperate for a look at whoever made such an outrageous bid.
“Sold!” The auctioneer cried.
The lights came back up. Charlie saw every head turned in the same direction. He stood at the back of the crowd with his hands in his pockets and that captivating smile on his face. Thayer McLean had won her first dance.
Chapter Six
Charlie’s stomach dropped. Although grateful Mason hadn’t won the bid, she couldn’t help but think of Ruth. She searched for her friend in the crowd and found her standing next to Logan. The shock on Ruth’s face made Charlie’s heart sink. Ruth’s eyes were trained on Thayer as he approached the dance floor. It took a moment, but Ruth finally looked at her. Her eyes glistened with an unmistakable sheen. Charlie tried to convey her sympathy with a look, but Ruth glared before whirling away.
“Miss Grey.” Thayer stood before her, offering his hand. “Shall we?”
Up close, Charlie noted his piercing ice blue eyes, strong jaw, and muscled arms. The spicy scent of his soap tickled her nose. He shot her a charming smile that she returned with a pointed glare. She disliked him immediately, for Ruth’s sake.
She took his hand without a word, allowing him to pull her into his arms. The warmth of his touch on her waist radiated through the thin fabric of her dress, making her hyperaware of his proximity. Charlie couldn’t help comparing his forceful touch to Drew’s tender caresses. Music filled the room and Thayer guided her with ease. He watched her closely as they swayed, but she couldn’t make herself hold his gaze.
He spoke after a minute of awkward silence, forcing her to look up at him. “I should introduce myself. I’m—”
“Thayer McLean,” Charlie cut him off. “I know.”
“Funny, I don’t remember meeting you.”
“Your father is a member of the Council, like mine. Of course I know who you are.”
He ignored her terse response. “How are you enjoying your party?”
“Not at all,” she snapped.
Thayer’s brows shot up. “Why is that?”
There were too many answers to that question. If she had to choose one, it would be Margaret. She resented her mother for selling her off like a prized animal. It left her feeling dirty.
“I don’t like being paraded about and shown off for all the willing buyers.” She shot him a piercing look as he executed a perfect turn. “It’s degrading, no matter how much someone thinks I’m worth.”
“It is a rather appalling tradition, the more I think about it.” His expression remained impassive, but his eyes sparked with mischief. “I’m sorry you’ve been subjected to it.”
“Not sorry enough to keep from bidding,” Charlie challenged before he dipped her.
“No, not that sorry.” When he lifted her back up, their eyes locked. Charlie felt like the temperature in the room had gone up a few degrees. “Your disdain for our boorish traditions isn’t the only thing that has you on edge.”
Her heart thudded. “What do you mean?”
“Mason Novack.”
She laughed in an attempt to cover how uncomfortable his keen observation made her. “What makes you think Mason Novack has anything to do with my enjoyment of the party?”
“Everyone knows your father wants you to marry him. Anyone watching the two of you could tell you despise the idea. Then, you disappeared.” The accusation in his question could not be mistaken. “Where did you escape to, Miss Grey?”
Her temperature spiked again under his appraisal. He knew something, but she couldn’t tell what or how much. Lacking information, she deemed lying as her safest course of action. “I went to freshen up. We women need to look beautiful if we’re to catch a husband.”
“A woman like you doesn’t require help in that area.” Her breath hitched at the unexpected compliment. She searched Thayer’s eyes for any sign of insincerity, but found none. She stumbled and his grip on her tightened,
“Sold!” The auctioneer cried.
The lights came back up. Charlie saw every head turned in the same direction. He stood at the back of the crowd with his hands in his pockets and that captivating smile on his face. Thayer McLean had won her first dance.
Chapter Six
Charlie’s stomach dropped. Although grateful Mason hadn’t won the bid, she couldn’t help but think of Ruth. She searched for her friend in the crowd and found her standing next to Logan. The shock on Ruth’s face made Charlie’s heart sink. Ruth’s eyes were trained on Thayer as he approached the dance floor. It took a moment, but Ruth finally looked at her. Her eyes glistened with an unmistakable sheen. Charlie tried to convey her sympathy with a look, but Ruth glared before whirling away.
“Miss Grey.” Thayer stood before her, offering his hand. “Shall we?”
Up close, Charlie noted his piercing ice blue eyes, strong jaw, and muscled arms. The spicy scent of his soap tickled her nose. He shot her a charming smile that she returned with a pointed glare. She disliked him immediately, for Ruth’s sake.
She took his hand without a word, allowing him to pull her into his arms. The warmth of his touch on her waist radiated through the thin fabric of her dress, making her hyperaware of his proximity. Charlie couldn’t help comparing his forceful touch to Drew’s tender caresses. Music filled the room and Thayer guided her with ease. He watched her closely as they swayed, but she couldn’t make herself hold his gaze.
He spoke after a minute of awkward silence, forcing her to look up at him. “I should introduce myself. I’m—”
“Thayer McLean,” Charlie cut him off. “I know.”
“Funny, I don’t remember meeting you.”
“Your father is a member of the Council, like mine. Of course I know who you are.”
He ignored her terse response. “How are you enjoying your party?”
“Not at all,” she snapped.
Thayer’s brows shot up. “Why is that?”
There were too many answers to that question. If she had to choose one, it would be Margaret. She resented her mother for selling her off like a prized animal. It left her feeling dirty.
“I don’t like being paraded about and shown off for all the willing buyers.” She shot him a piercing look as he executed a perfect turn. “It’s degrading, no matter how much someone thinks I’m worth.”
“It is a rather appalling tradition, the more I think about it.” His expression remained impassive, but his eyes sparked with mischief. “I’m sorry you’ve been subjected to it.”
“Not sorry enough to keep from bidding,” Charlie challenged before he dipped her.
“No, not that sorry.” When he lifted her back up, their eyes locked. Charlie felt like the temperature in the room had gone up a few degrees. “Your disdain for our boorish traditions isn’t the only thing that has you on edge.”
Her heart thudded. “What do you mean?”
“Mason Novack.”
She laughed in an attempt to cover how uncomfortable his keen observation made her. “What makes you think Mason Novack has anything to do with my enjoyment of the party?”
“Everyone knows your father wants you to marry him. Anyone watching the two of you could tell you despise the idea. Then, you disappeared.” The accusation in his question could not be mistaken. “Where did you escape to, Miss Grey?”
Her temperature spiked again under his appraisal. He knew something, but she couldn’t tell what or how much. Lacking information, she deemed lying as her safest course of action. “I went to freshen up. We women need to look beautiful if we’re to catch a husband.”
“A woman like you doesn’t require help in that area.” Her breath hitched at the unexpected compliment. She searched Thayer’s eyes for any sign of insincerity, but found none. She stumbled and his grip on her tightened,
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